The Queen Who Ever Was

"The Queen Who Ever Was"
House of the Dragon episode
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 8
Directed by	Geeta Vasant Patel
Written by	Sara Hess
Featured music	Ramin Djawadi
Cinematography by	Catherine Goldschmidt
Editing by	Crispin Green
Original air date	August 4, 2024 (2024-08-04)
Running time	70 minutes

"The Queen Who Ever Was" is the eighth and final episode of the second season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by Sara Hess and directed by Geeta Vasant Patel. It first aired on HBO and Max on August 4, 2024. Several days before its release, scenes from the episode were leaked online and quickly shared among fans on TikTok, X, and Reddit.

In the United States, "The Queen Who Ever Was" garnered a viewership of 8.9 million during its premiere night, with nearly 1.5 million viewers on linear television alone. The episode was met with mixed reviews from critics, receiving a rating of 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the lowest-rated episode of the series to date. The musical score, cinematography, and cast performances (particularly of Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Abubakar Salim, Harry Collett, and Fabien Frankel) were highly praised. However, the episode was criticized as a weak season finale, with its cliffhanger failing to provide a satisfying conclusion to the season, though the set-up for the next season was appreciated.

Plot

In Tyrosh

Tyland Lannister negotiates with the Triarchy's High Council for their fleet to help break the Velaryon shipping blockade. They agree but in exchange, they demand control over the Stepstones, which Tyland reluctantly accepts. Additionally, Tylands needs to best the Triarchy's Admiral Sharako Lohar, female warrior using male pronouns, in a match Tyland wins, earning Lohar's respect; Lohar asks him to sire children through his wives. and they sail with the Triarchy's fleet for Westeros.

In the Crownlands

Enraged over Rhaenyra's new dragonriders, Aemond has Vhagar burn down the Black-allied port city of Sharp Point.

Marching for Harrenhal, Gwayne sees Criston with Alicent's handkerchief and accuses him of breaking his Kingsguard vows. Despondent, Criston expresses regret over his past choices and believes they are headed towards annihilation by Rhaenyra's dragons.

In King's Landing

Larys Strong brings the news of Rhaenyra's dragonriders and Aemond's destruction of Sharp Point to Aegon, telling him Aemond will be a threat to his life once he recuperates. Aegon wants Aemond imprisoned, but Larys warns Aemond and Vhagar and crucial assets in the war against Rhaenyra, suggesting to him they should leave for Essos together and return only after Aemond and Rhaenyra have destroyed each other.

Aemond demands that Helaena ride her dragon Dreamfyre into battle. When she refuses, Aemond reacts roughly, but Alicent protects Helaena, berating Aemond for being vengeful, reckless and destructive. Later, Aemond approaches Helaena more gently about the matter, only to be refused again. Helaena also reveals she knows Aemond had burnt Aegon and Sunfyre at Rook's Rest, and foresees his death in the war.

Later, Aegon and Larys depart the city in a covered wagon.

At Driftmark

Rhaenyra visits Corlys, who advises she use her new military advantage, the new dragonriders, by acting quickly. Corlys tries to bond with Alyn who rebuffs him as Corlys had never shown any interest when his trueborn children were alive, leaving Alyn and Addam to suffer as bastards. Both Corlys and Alyn take the ship, "Queen Who Never Was," to join the Velaryon blockade.

At Harrenhal

Ser Alfred Broome arrives as Rhaenyra's emissary and, witnessing Daemon's large Riverman army, says he would follow Daemon if he proclaimed himself king and betrayed Rhaenyra. Simon Strong overhears their conversation and sends a raven to Rhaenyra.

At night, Alys Rivers leads Daemon to the godswood's weirwood tree, announcing he is ready to see his fate if he wishes so. Daemon touches the tree and sees visions of the future: Brynden Rivers becoming the Three-Eyed Raven, a White Walker leading a legion of wights, a landscape of dead dragons, the birth of Daenerys Targaryen's three dragons, and Rhaenyra sitting on the Iron Throne. Helaena also appears, stating that Daemon now knows the full story and his role in it.

Rhaenyra and Addam arrive at Harrenhal on dragonback. Daemon reveals to Rhaenyra that he knows of the Song of Ice and Fire, and reaffirms his loyalty to her, bending his knee alongside the Riverman army, while Broome retreats into the crowd.

In the Vale

Exhausted from scouting the Vale without sustenance, Rhaena finally finds the wild dragon devouring sheep.

At Dragonstone

Jacaerys finds Ulf and Hugh in the war room. Angered by Ulf's insolence, Jace threatens to have him hanged. Baela later empathizes with Jace and also expresses her worries about civilian casualties, as does Rhaenyra, but Mysaria counsels Rhaenyra to be strong, since she has a major advantage. Later, during supper, Rhaenyra encourages her new dragonriders to behave well, and promises knighthood for their service, announcing they will leave for battle in three days.

Late at night, Alicent, who had secretly left King's Landing, visits Rhaenyra. She admits her own faults that have led to the conflict and offers to let Rhaenyra take the city once Aemond will have left for the Riverlands. In exchange, she pleads to have her children's lives spared. Rhaenyra tells her, however, that to end the war, she will have to take Aegon's life. Alicent seemingly acknowledges that and tearfully departs the castle.

Across Westeros

In the Reach, the Hightower host marches north accompanied by Prince Daeron Targaryen on his dragon Tesarion. At the Twins, House Stark's army cross south. In the Westerlands, Jason Lannister and Humfrey Lefford lead their host. Somewhere unknown, Otto Hightower is held captive.

Production

Writing and filming

"The Queen Who Ever Was" was written by executive producer Sara Hess and directed by co-executive producer Geeta Vasant Patel. It marks Hess' fourth time as writer for the series, following "The Princess and the Queen", "The Green Council" and "Rhaenyra the Cruel", and Patel's third directorial credit after "The Lord of the Tides" and "The Burning Mill".

Casting

The episode stars Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Emma D'Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Queen Dowager Alicent Hightower, Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole, Matthew Needham as Lord Larys "Clubfoot" Strong, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, Tom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon II Targaryen, Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen, Phia Saban as Queen Helaena Targaryen, Harry Collett as Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, Bethany Antonia as Lady Baela Targaryen, Phoebe Campbell as Lady Rhaena Targaryen, Jefferson Hall as Ser Tyland Lannister and Lord Jason Lannister, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Kurt Egyiawan as Grand Maester Orwyle, Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Kieran Bew as Hugh Hammer, Tom Bennett as Ulf White, and Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong.

It marks the first appearance of Abigail Thorn as Admiral Sharako Lohar.

Release

"The Queen Who Ever Was" premiered on August 4, 2024, on HBO and Max.

Internet leak

On July 30, 2024, several scenes from the episode were leaked and uploaded to a TikTok account, attracting between 50,000 to 100,000 viewers before the account was banned about three hours later. The leaked scenes quickly spread to other platforms like X and Reddit. In response, HBO issued a statement the following day, acknowledging the leak: "We are aware that clips from the House of the Dragon season finale have surfaced across social media platforms. [sic] The clips were posted after an unintentional release from an international third-party distributor. HBO is aggressively monitoring and removing clips from the internet, and fans can watch the episode in its entirety this Sunday night on HBO and Max."

Reception

Ratings

In the United States, "The Queen Who Ever Was" was watched by a total of 8.9 million viewers, which included linear viewers during its premiere night on August 4, 2024, both on HBO and Max. While on HBO alone, it was watched by nearly 1.5 million viewers during its first broadcast. This was an increase of 20.5% from the previous episode.

Critical response

The performances of Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, and Harry Collett received praise from critics.

The episode was met with mixed critical reviews. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 50% based on 22 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The site's critical consensus says, "Ending on a snarl when viewers expected a roar, 'The Queen Who Ever Was' is a bitterly anti-climactic finale that leaves the season feeling more like a tease than a treat." It is the series' lowest-rated episode on the website to date.

Helen O'Hara of IGN and Carly Lane of Collider gave the episode a score of 8 out of 10. O'Hara described it as an episode that "has laboured to move pieces into place and establish character dynamics and deliver some beautifully written dialogue and failed utterly to deliver the hoped-for action alongside it." She added, "In terms of story and drama, this eighth episode was a triumph – or would have been had it arrived two or three episodes ago. But for a season finale to be all cliffhanger and no spectacle is close to unforgivable." Similarly, Lane felt the episode "feels more like a penultimate episode than one designed to wrap up the entire second season, especially given where it leaves off." Despite this, she praised the performances of D'Arcy, Cooke, Frankel, and Salim. Kayleigh Dray of The A.V. Club graded it with a "B+", commending the set-up for the third season and D'Arcy's performance.

Alec Bojalad of Den of Geek, Fay Watson of GamesRadar+ Amanda Whiting of Vulture, and Jonathon Wilson of Ready Steady Cut all rated the episode 3 out of 5 stars. Bojalad appreciated the conclusion to Daemon's storyline in the season, and also wrote, "While still ostensibly an enjoyable watch, [the season finale] is the weakest episode of the series thus far. [...] [Mostly due] to the fact that there's no real conclusion here." Nevertheless, Bojalad still called it a good episode of television in general. Watson praised the introduction of new characters in Essos, Daemon bending his knee to Rhaenyra, and the performances of D'Arcy and Cooke, concluding her review by saying, "Despite some excellent sequences, [the episode] is plagued by the same issues as the rest of the season, focusing on looking ahead rather than offering a satisfying conclusion." Additionally, Whiting called it "a terrible, evasive and deflating" season finale, while Wilson noted "It's a high-quality finale in many respects, but it remains a tease for bigger, more dramatic stuff to come" and praised the performances of D'Arcy, Cooke, and Salim.

Katie Doll of CBR scored it 5 out of 10, stating, "By the end of the well-shot Season 2 finale, the HBO series can no longer hide that its flashy dragon sequences and rich dialogue are just covers for a story lacking substance. She criticized the callback to Game of Thrones with a brief appearance of Daenerys Targaryen, which she considered the scene "undercuts the purpose of the series." However, she praised Djawadi's score, Collett's performance, and the parallel shots of Alicent and Rhaenyra. Proma Khosla of IndieWire graded it with a "C–", praising D'Arcy and Salim's performances as well as the final montage but found it lacking as a conclusion to the season.

External links

• "The Queen Who Ever Was" at HBO
• "The Queen Who Ever Was" at IMDb